A generic vehicle body is known from US 2011/0095567 A1. This body includes a bottom sillboard, the inner and outer profile sections of which, as viewed in the vehicle transverse direction, are joined together at upper and lower flange connections. Attached to the bottom sillboard is a pillar base of a body pillar element (i.e., the aforementioned reinforcing element). In the case of a side collision, the pillar base is supported against the bottom sillboard. In the event of such a side collision, the upper flange connection in particular of the bottom sillboard is severely stressed to the point that the risk of a material failure exists, which is disadvantageous in terms of the deformation behavior of the vehicle body.
Another vehicle body having a bottom sillboard, which also supports a body pillar element, is known from DE 10 2005 044 820 A1. The bottom sillboard also includes a corrugated sheet metal plate with which the bottom sillboard is reinforced in the vehicle transverse direction. This ensures that the transverse rigidity of the bottom sillboard is increased in the event of a side collision.